Dress Like A French Woman

It’s Monday and time to be brutally honest with ourselves: this cold and dark, fall morning our personal style is probably not our best.

Hey, it’s tough to motivate sometimes!

What if I told you there was simple method to the always stylish madness that comes directly from our #fashiongoals cousins from across the pond? There is a reason why the fashion set holds those always-chic, Parisian women high on the style pedestal of life. Fortunately for us, we don’t need to parlez vous franςais in order to steal their sartorial secrets. We can all dress like a French woman this season using their five-piece French wardrobe method.

This personal style strategy has been around for generations, yet seemed to gain some serious traction in 2014 after it was picked up in a “French Style” thread on THE FASHION SPOT. While not complicated or difficult to follow, sometimes it’s nice to rethink the way we consider our wardrobe — in this case, with a chic French sensibility.

So, here we go…

The Five Piece French Wardrobe Method

Build the majority of your wardrobe over time, amassing quality, well-made classic pieces that can be worn indefinitely (or until they fall apart). The focus here is quality over quantity.

In Marie Kondo style, eliminate anything that you haven’t worn in the past year, don’t love, don’t fit, etc. If you don’t love to wear it, get rid of it.

To get the ball rolling, reference this checklist below for a quick snapshot of the basic building blocks of a successful wardrobe, then shop my picks!

Keep your new purchases limited to 5 new, non-basic items per season that keep your wardrobe fresh and add a dash of your unique personality to the basics discussed above. These shouldn’t be major splurges — just fun, stand out pieces that keep you on trend with the changing seasons.

While not necessarily a project that can be undertaken in a single weekend, over time, if you follow with French-inspired method you’ll end up with a curated wardrobe that is a true representation of your personal style. You’ll spend less on passing trends and amass a collection of interchangeable basics that are timeless.

Essentially, each morning (yes, even Mondays) will result in a happy dance in your closet.